Earth ChangesS


Ice Cube

New Year's Eve temperatures to drop below freezing for majority of U.S.

Brian Lada
AccuWeather
Tue, 30 Dec 2014 14:28 UTC
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Those headed out to celebrate New Year's Eve may want to bundle up as arctic air affects much of the nation. The worst of the cold will focus on the Rocky Mountains and northern Plains, but temperatures are forecast to dip below freezing across a majority of the nation on Wednesday night.

"Temperatures will plunge well below zero from portions of the Dakotas and northern Minnesota at night through the end of 2014," said AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. AccuWeather.com RealFeel® Temperatures will be even lower, dropping below zero in cities such as Denver and Chicago.

Florida will be one of the only spots in the entire country to evade the freezing weather with lows in the 60s in Orlando and Miami. Folks headed to outdoor venues to ring in the new year, such as Times Square in New York City, will want to dress warm to stay protected from the cold weather.

Comment: Cold yet?
Temperature map 12/31/14:
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Snowflake Cold

Over 130 people die from cold snap in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh


Press TV
Mon, 29 Dec 2014 14:55 UTC
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© Gulf Times
The death toll of a cold spell in northern and eastern India has reportedly exceeded 130.The cold snap in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh has disrupted rail and air transportation, media reported on Monday.

However, Uttar Pradesh Secretary and Relief Commissioner Leena Johri has not confirmed the number of fatalities. Citing authorities, Johri said there has been no report of death due to cold wave.

Meanwhile, Delhi-based All India Radio (AIR) reported that severe cold weather and fog has caused accidents which claimed the lives of 25 people in Uttar Pradesh during the weekend.

In the National Capital Territory of Delhi, as well as neighboring northern state of Haryana, and Bihar, a state in east India, 12 cold-related deaths were reported.

Foggy conditions caused serious disruption in air and rail transportation.

Some 137 flights were delayed and 14 more canceled at Delhi airport. The fog and low visibility have caused delays in 78 train departures as well.

The potentially deadly winters in India are short and last only from December to February.

Comment: The death toll in India has now exceeded 150.

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Binoculars

Another completely lost avian species: Couch's Kingbird flies from southern Texas to New York

Rosa Goldensohn
dnainfo.com
Mon, 29 Dec 2014 19:28 UTC
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© Splash News
A lost tourist is bringing crowds of admirers to the West Village.

The Couch's Kingbird, a bright yellow bird usually not seen in the USA north of Texas and Louisiana, has been perching in Abingdon Square Park and other spots in the neighborhood, watched by dozens of bird watchers.

It's thought to be the first of its species to come to New York, according to Phil Jeffrey, a scientist in the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton who photographed the visitor at the weekend.

On Monday morning, more than a dozen bird enthusiasts waited with cameras on the corner of Washington and Jane Streets - one of the spots where it's been seen.


Comment: Similar recent reports of birds completely losing their way across the Northern Hemisphere: Warbler that should be wintering in western Mexico turns up in Louisiana

Bean goose from Eurasia takes a wrong turn and winds up on the Oregon Coast

Four lost flamingos fly NORTH for the winter and turn up in Siberia

Wrong place, wrong time: European robin turns up thousands of miles away in China

Rare bird from Mongolia turns up in Wakefield, UK

Wrong time, wrong place: Rare bird found in Barrie, Canada

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Wolf

Family dog mauls baby in Saanich, British Columbia

Josh Elliott
ctvnews.ca
Sun, 28 Dec 2014 18:47 UTC
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Saanich police are investigating after a 16-day-old baby girl was attacked by the family dog, a pit bull-rottweiller cross.
A two-week-old B.C. girl is being treated in hospital for significant injuries she sustained in a dog attack by her family's Pitbull-Rottweiler cross-breed on Sunday.

The 16-day-old infant was rushed to hospital with significant head and facial injuries after the dog attack early Sunday, police said.

The incident happened in Saanich, B.C., where police say the dog had lived with the family for about 17 years. It's not known why the dog attacked the child.

The dog's owners agreed to euthanize the animal, but police say they are still mulling whether to lay criminal negligence charges in the case.

"Any time an attack like this happens, we have to look at the criminal side," said Const. Nawid Akbar of Saanich Police. "However, all accounts are leading to it just being an unfortunate accident. A very tragic event."

Investigators have contacted child protective services.

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Snowflake

Possible snow in Phoenix? Winter storm snow levels could fall to 2,000 feet

Catherine Holland
AZFamily.com
Tue, 30 Dec 2014 17:18 UTC

A cold winter storm is bearing down on Arizona, which means possible rain for the Phoenix metro area and snow in the high country. The system will bring some "bitterly cold" air down from the northwest, according to 3TV meteorologist April Warnecke. It also will pick up some moisture as it heads our way. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for much of the state beginning tonight and running into late Thursday.

Rain could start in the Valley Wednesday morning. Snow could start in the high country as early as Tuesday night. According to the National Weather Service, widespread snow will increase from west to east across northern Arizona on Wednesday, with the heaviest snowfall expected Wednesday evening.

Snow levels could fall to 2,000 feet and a dusting is still possible Thursday morning in those higher elevations near the Valley like Cave Creek and Wickenburg.

Comment: Rare snow to fall on Las Vegas, Mohave Desert New Year's Eve

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Snowflake Cold

'Unusually cold storm' to bring snow, rain and a freeze through most of California and the Desert Southwest

Alex Sosnowski
AccuWeather
Tue, 30 Dec 2014 17:07 UTC
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A storm and cold air forecast to develop at the end of 2014 and linger into the start of 2015 will deliver snow, rain and a frost or freeze to portions of California. The coldest air of the winter months so far will settle over California during the middle and latter part of this week.

At the same time, a storm will form nearby and bring snow and slippery travel to the passes and high deserts of California. While temperatures are not forecast to drop to record-low territory for much of the state, the air will get cold enough long enough to bring a frost and freeze to the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, as well as part of the central coast of California.

Comment: For more information, see SOTT's November video on Earth Changes, see: SOTT Earth Changes Video Summary - November 2014

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Snowflake

Rare snow to fall on Las Vegas, Mojave Desert on New Year's Eve

Ed Vallee
Accuweather
Tue, 30 Dec 2014 09:14 UTC
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As cold air continues to plunge southward in the West, a storm will produce rare New Year's Eve and New Year's Day snow for Las Vegas, the Mojave Desert and the mountains in the region.

Pack some warm clothes and perhaps winter boots if you are heading to the Southwest for the New Year's holiday. Motorists heading over the mountains should expect delays due to snow-covered roads.

Soon after snow falls on parts of the central Rockies and Plains, a new winter storm will develop over the Southwest states.

The storm will bring snow to not only the mountains of the Four Corner states, Nevada and Southern California, but also some low-elevation locations in the region that rarely receive accumulating snow.

Las Vegas, which averages about 0.3 of an inch of snow per year, is forecast to receive 1-3 inches of snow during Tuesday night into Thursday morning.

According to the Las Vegas National Weather Service Office, there have only been 15 snowstorms that brought greater than 1 inch of snow. Records have been kept since 1937.

If 0.1 of an inch of snow or more falls on Las Vegas on Wednesday, it will become the snowiest New Year's Eve in the city's record.

The last and only snowstorm on record during New Year's Day around Las Vegas was in 1974, when accumulations ranged from 2 to 5.5 inches in the area. The official New Year's Day record for McCarran International Airport is 4.4 inches.

"Unusually cold air will target the southwestern U.S. by midweek. Las Vegas has not seen measurable snow since Dec. 17, 2008, when 3.6 inches of snow fell," said AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Dave Samuhel.

Comment: To understand what's going on with our wild weather, check out our recently published book, Earth Changes and the Human-Cosmic Connection, available here. Also, check out November's Earth Changes Video Summary for more crazy weather happenings on the planet.

SOTT Earth Changes Video Summary - November 2014

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Attention

100,000 sea stars found stranded on Fripp Island, South Carolina

Rebecca Lurye
The State (South Carolina)
Sat, 27 Dec 2014 15:49 UTC
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© Rick Stein
Thousands of starfish were stranded on Fripp Island on Christmas Eve, likely because of the day's stormy weather, according to a marine veterinarian.

Al Segars of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources said he had not looked into the stranding, but said strong winds could have caused the creatures, also known as sea stars, to wash ashore. Christmas Day beachgoers estimated that roughly 100,000 sea stars were on the beach.

The Sea Islands experienced the same thing last year, Segars said.

"I wouldn't say it's anything out of the ordinary," he said. "These guys are just sitting on the bottom, so if you've got a strong wave action, they can't fight the current."

George Sedberry, a science coordinator in national Office of Marine Sanctuaries, said he has not studied this stranding but offered other possible explanations for the sea stars' deaths.
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Cloud Grey

Philippines: Tropical Storm Jangmi triggers flash floods and landslides leaving at least 29 dead, 10 missing


Sputnik
Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:45 UTC
At least 29 people have been reportedly killed and 10 are missing in flash floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Jangmi which is hitting the Philippines for the second day.
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© REUTERS/ Erwin Frames
Flash floods and landslides, caused by a Tropical Storm Jangmi, known locally as Seniang, have left at least 29 people dead and 10 missing after hitting the Philippines for the second day running, according to AP reports.

The eye of the storm was 108 kilometers southwest of central Iloilo City, moving west at 19 kph toward western Palawan Island, the agency quotes the government weather bureau as saying on Tuesday afternoon.

At least 12 people died when a landslide swept away two vans and six houses near a mountainside highway in eastern Catbalogan City, said Mayor Stephanie Uy-Tan.

She added that voices could still be heard from one of the vans and that rescue efforts were ongoing.

Thousands were evacuated ahead of the storm's arrival, with most expected to be sent home later Tuesday as floodwaters start to recede.

But some residents in vulnerable areas ignored the evacuation warnings, she said.

"The rains were really strong and people thought the storm won't be too strong based on the news," The Indian Express quotes her as saying.


Comment: Normalcy bias at work.
THE MISCONCEPTION: Your fight-or-flight instincts kick in and you panic when disaster strikes.

THE TRUTH: You often become abnormally calm and pretend everything is normal in a crisis.
See also: 58 Cognitive biases that screw up everything we do

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Attention

Over 1,200 sea turtles have washed up on Cape Cod beaches during December


wildlifeextra.com
Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:33 UTC
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Sea turtles depend on warmer waters for their survival
Over the past month a record number of sea turtles, most of which have been critically endangered Kemp's Ridley Turtles, have been rescued from stranding on the beaches of Cape Cod in New England, reports the Massachusett Audobon Society.

Normally, around 90 sea turtles strand on the Cape on their migration from the beaches of Mexico to Cape Cod Bay.

Sea turtles spend the warmer months in Cape Cod waters, then swim south to Mexico for the winter each autumn beginning in November. But some turtles get "caught" by the hook of Cape Cod.

Sea turtles that take their body temperature from the environment around them and when the water temperature of the Bay gets down to 50 degrees F they become cold-stunned.
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